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Valley Fever Cases Climb In California’s Central Valley — And Beyond

By Barbara Feder Ostrov and Harriet Blair Rowan December 17, 2019 KFF Health News Original

California and nearby Southwestern states are seeing a sustained rise in cases of valley fever, a potentially serious lung illness caused by a fungus found in desert-type soil. As a result of global warming, the areas where the fungus can thrive are expanding, researchers say.

Not Yesterday’s Cocaine: Death Toll Rising From Tainted Drug

By Laura Ungar November 25, 2019 KFF Health News Original

While the U.S. continues to focus mainly on the opioid crisis, cocaine is quietly making a comeback and has become one of the biggest overdose killers of African Americans when tainted with fentanyl.

When Masculinity Turns ‘Toxic’: A Gender Profile Of Mass Shootings

By Phillip Reese October 3, 2019 KFF Health News Original

Men are far more likely than women to commit deadly mass shootings, both in California and across the nation. We break down the numbers — and ask experts why gender would have a role in indiscriminate violence.

Invasive Mosquitoes Plunge Deeper Into California

By Harriet Blair Rowan September 20, 2019 KFF Health News Original

Invasive mosquito species capable of carrying dangerous viruses such as Zika, dengue and yellow fever have been detected in 16 California counties. There’s no evidence the mosquitoes have transmitted these diseases within the state, but health officials urge residents to take steps to slow their spread.

Vaping By The Numbers

By Harriet Blair Rowan September 12, 2019 KFF Health News Original

The explosive rise in a serious lung illness linked to vaping spotlights the popularity of e-cigarettes among teens and young adults. Vaping is now so pervasive among young people that federal health officials say its use has fueled a sharp reversal in what had been a celebrated two-decade decline in overall tobacco use by teenagers.

Dialysis Industry Spends Big To Protect Profits

By Harriet Blair Rowan August 23, 2019 KFF Health News Original

Dialysis companies are fighting a bill in the California legislature that could disrupt their business model. Their weapons: campaign cash and a sophisticated public relations campaign.

Charity Care Spending By Hospitals Plunges

By Harriet Blair Rowan August 13, 2019 KFF Health News Original

The proportion of money that California hospitals spent on free and discounted care for low-income people dropped by more than half from 2013 to 2017 — even for nonprofit hospitals. Hospitals say there’s less demand for charity care because more people now have health insurance, but consumer advocates counter that people still need help.

Medi-Cal Enrollment Among Immigrant Kids Stalls, Then Falls. Is Fear To Blame?

By Ana B. Ibarra July 9, 2019 KFF Health News Original

Enrollment among undocumented immigrant children in California’s Medicaid program started strong before stagnating and then falling. Although this decline is similar to an enrollment decline among all children in Medicaid nationwide, experts believe there are different reasons behind it.

Have Cancer, Must Travel: Patients Left In Lurch After Hospital Closes

By Sarah Jane Tribble Photos by Christopher Smith July 1, 2019 KFF Health News Original

As the rural town of Fort Scott, Kan., grapples with the closure of its hospital, cancer patients face new challenges as they try to continue their treatments in different locations.

A Million Californians Don’t Have Clean Drinking Water. Where Do They Live?

By Harriet Blair Rowan June 28, 2019 KFF Health News Original

More than 10% of residents in 12 California counties don’t have safe drinking water, according to a California Healthline analysis of state water data. State lawmakers have pledged $130 million a year to help bring clean drinking water to Californians who need it.

As The Economy Surges, A Dramatic Drop In Workers On Disability

By Phillip Reese June 27, 2019 KFF Health News Original

Experts credit the lowest U.S. unemployment rate in 50 years, along with a more flexible work culture and tighter oversight of who qualifies for federal disability benefits.

Use Of Buprenorphine To Treat Opioid Addiction Proliferates In California

By Harriet Blair Rowan May 24, 2019 KFF Health News Original

Buprenorphine is becoming an increasingly popular choice among doctors in California for treating opioid addiction. Use of methadone, while still more common, has not gained ground in recent years.

As ER Wait Times Grow, More Patients Leave Against Medical Advice

By Phillip Reese May 17, 2019 KFF Health News Original

Crowded emergency rooms are likely to blame. In 2017, the median ER wait time for patients before admission as inpatients to California hospitals was 336 minutes — or more than 5½ hours.

Diabetic Amputations A ‘Shameful Metric’ Of Inadequate Care

By Anna Gorman Photos by Heidi de Marco May 1, 2019 KFF Health News Original

In California, people who are black or Latino are more than twice as likely as whites to undergo amputations related to diabetes, a Kaiser Health News analysis found. The pattern is not unique to California.

The Homeless Are Dying In Record Numbers On The Streets Of L.A.

By Anna Gorman and Harriet Blair Rowan April 24, 2019 KFF Health News Original

Deaths of homeless people in Los Angeles County have jumped 76% in the past five years, outpacing the growth of the homeless population, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis of the coroner’s data. Experts say drug and alcohol abuse are significant factors.

Heavy Rains, End Of Drought Could Help Keep West Nile Virus Subdued — For Now

By Harriet Blair Rowan April 12, 2019 KFF Health News Original

Scientists say drought can spur transmission of the disease and that wetter winters since 2015 have helped reduce the number of infections in California. In the long term, however, climate change could mean more drought — and more infections.

Exemptions Surge As Parents And Doctors Do ‘Hail Mary’ Around Vaccine Laws

By Barbara Feder Ostrov April 5, 2019 KFF Health News Original

In California, medical exemptions to skip childhood vaccinations are on the rise. The trend underlines how hard it is to get parents to comply with vaccination laws meant to protect public safety when a small but adamant population of families and physicians seems determined to resist.

Nation’s First HIV-To-HIV Kidney Transplant With Living Donor Succeeds

By Victoria Knight and Carmen Heredia Rodriguez March 28, 2019 KFF Health News Original

The organ transplant from a living donor opens up the universe of available organs.

Device-Safety Experts To FDA: Make Data Public

By Christina Jewett March 27, 2019 KFF Health News Original

For almost two decades, device makers have sent reports of incidents to databases hidden from public view.

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